Thursday, August 30

The Central Mississippi Regional Library System (CMRLS) wants to make
your students’ school year a successful one. To assist with this goal, CMRLS
libraries are declaring a Fine Forgiveness Week, September 8-15. During this
week anyone 21 years or younger may clear their library fines and start the school
year with a ‘clean slate’. Those already out of school may also clear fines. Fines
will only continue to follow them and cause future problems. Borrowing
materials for upcoming school projects or just leisure reading will no longer
be a worry.

Students, or any person age 21 and younger, who have overdue library materials
in good condition may return them to the library during Fine Forgiveness Week
and fines will be forgiven. It is that easy! In addition, by returning the
materials, students just coming into those same school projects will have the
needed resources. Due to the economic situation everyone is facing, replacing
those needed materials are sometimes beyond library budgets. Books cost more
each year to purchase.

If for some reason those overdue library materials are lost or the items
have been damaged, anyone 21 years and younger may still be granted Fine
Forgiveness! The Library will accept one sealed, multi-serving packaged food
item for each $10 in fines that the borrower owes. This will erase the library
fine and at the same time contribute to the Mississippi Food Network working in
your community. Your library and the library’s website have a list of accepted
items for fine forgiveness. The list includes items such as peanut butter,
fruit cups, pudding cups, and snack crackers.

Central Mississippi Regional
Library System serves the public libraries of Rankin, Scott, Simpson,
and Smith counties. The libraries are located in Pearl, Flowood, Brandon,
Puckett, Pelahatchie, Florence, Reservoir, Richland, and Sandhill; Forest, Morton, Sebastopol, and Lake; Magee, Mendenhall, and Harrisville; Mize, Polkville, Raleigh, and Taylorsville. Hours, contact
information, and a list of accepted food items are found at www.cmrls.lib.ms.us. The library
nearest to you may be listed in the local phone book in the “city section”, the
yellow pages, or by name. Library staff can answer any questions regarding Fine
Forgiveness Week. Fees produced by Debt Collect will not be forgiven.